Why You Need to De-Clutter Your Home

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

-You needed a roll of tape to wrap a present, went to the store and ended up buying a 6-pack roll because you get a free roll when you buy 5.  You think, “Well, I’ll use them up someday”, and proceed to store them somewhere in your house.  10 years later, you still have 5 of the 6 rolls you bought.

-You have a pair, or several pairs of ’skinny jeans’ or outfits that you keep in case you finally lose that weight you’ve been battling with and start fitting back in your skinny clothes.  You never lose the weight.  And you never get back into your skinny jeans–which are, by the way, out of style already.

-You keep gifts given to you that you don’t like, thinking you will re-gift them to somebody else someday.

-You collect pens, stationery, soap and shampoo from every single hotel you stay at, but never really use them.

-You keep all sorts of items because you paid good money for them, or just in case you finally find the time to sell them at a garage sale or on Ebay.

There is a big difference between keeping something that you will be using between now and a few months down the road vs. keeping something you have absolutely no need for now or in the near future but decide to keep it “just in case”.  Before you know it, you have an attic/basement, and even a house full of just-in-case-I-might-need-them items that are actually nothing more than junk.  A lot of people don’t like to let go of all these junk because they usually think they will eventually need them.  But what really happens is one of 2 things: either when you actually need that item you can no longer find it among the rest of your junk and end up buying a new one anyway, or you end up never needing the item at all.

I used to be one of those people that never threw away anything.  I had tons of magazines that I wouldn’t throw away thinking I might re-read them later.  I kept all sorts of stationery or any blank paper thinking I’ll use them for scrap paper someday.  I stored all these nifty little gadgets from several years ago thinking I might use them again.  But this habit just created a way for my home to gather dust.  Then I learned about “space-clearing” from a friend of mine who was a Feng Shui master.  All it is is just getting rid of clutter.  Surprisingly, the less I had in my home, the more abundant our lives were.

The amount of junk you have in your house inversely relates to the amount of luck/blessings you have in your life.  It’s kind of ironic, but true.  The more junk you keep, the less fortune you receive.  You need to be able to detach yourself from things you don’t need in order to get more of what you do want/need.  I’ve been to enough people’s homes to know this to be true.  People who tend to keep everything and don’t throw away anything tend to be the ones that are either struggling financially, feel stuck, or don’t have a lot of joy in their lives.  Same thing applies to people that buy and hoard a lot of things or have messy, crowded, over-decorated and cluttered homes.  If you have a messy desk, chances are that your career isn’t doing too good.  If your kitchen, dining area or refrigerator is cluttered, chances are that your health isn’t at its peak.  If your bed and bedroom looks more like a dump than a personal sanctuary, love and romance is probably lacking in your life.  Get the idea?  You need to respect your living area, because it will reflect how your life is going to be.

But isn’t just throwing things away wasteful?  Not if you don’t need them anyway.  What good are they going to do sitting around in your house and turning it into an oversized trash can?  Forget how much you paid for them, how much they’re worth or how much money you can get out of your junk.  If you can’t find some way to use them now, or find some way to recycle them or somebody who can use them now, just get rid of them.  And learn to stop buying things you don’t need, even if they’re half price.  Is all that clutter really worth the few pennies or dollars it might save you in 5 years?  There is no point keeping stuff that doesn’t enrich your life or bring you joy.  Make room in your home for abundance by simplifying your living space.  If there’s less stuff to clean, less stuff to organize, maybe you’ll have more time and space to enjoy what really matters.

How I Lost 20 lbs in 2 Months…Without Any Exercise

It has always been relatively easy for me to lose weight whenever I stuck to a good ’starvation’ diet and workout routine.  Problem is, with 3 kids and a business, it’s hard for me right now to make the time to exercise.  I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been to the gym.  I’ve tried a few types of diets in the past, mostly just different variations of portion control and keeping track of calories.  But what has been the most effortless diet for me is eating a vegan diet.  I have experimented with this way of eating on and off for over 15 years now but never really stuck with it.  However,  I have noticed that the pounds always seem to melt away fast whenever I commit to not eating meat.  Eating a vegan diet doesn’t necessarily translate to salads, tofu and rabbit food all the time.  Once you get the hang of it, it’s really no big deal and not as strange as it may seem.

I gained about 35 lbs. with this last pregnancy, lost 10 lbs with the birth and another 5 lbs. a month after.  Beginning May 1st of this year, about a month after I gave birth to Isabella, I decided to get serious about losing all this extra weight, and easily lost the last 20 lbs just by eating vegan as much as I can.  I didn’t really have a structured meal plan, or a caloric limit intake.  Here is what I’ve been eating the last 2 months:

Breakfast (I eat/drink all morning long from 8 a.m. until lunch time):

Fresh fruit juices (fresh squeezed orange & grapefruit; sometimes I’ll mix in some fresh apple juice if the grapefruit is too bitter)

Fresh fruit smoothie (pineapple, berries, bananas, apples, etc)

Any type of fruit and as much as I want of it

Recently I’ve started adding a vegetable juice concoction (found in Natalia Rose’s book Raw Food Life Force Energy) before eating any of the above

Lunch:

Some type of gazpacho soup or other veggie soup

Vegetable fried rice

Stir-fried veggies & rice

If I get too lazy…peanut butter & jelly sandwich

Snack:

Muffin, mini-bagel or fruit

Dinner:

If I’m good, it’s some type of grilled seafood and veggies.  Otherwise, I just eat whatever my husband and kids are eating…including dessert

What has made this easy for me is the fact that my kids generally don’t like to eat meat (or any kind of unidentifiable object for that matter), so I don’t really have to buy or fix special meals just for me.  And I also take it easy on myself during dinner, since my husband likes “regular” food.  As long as my first 2 meals of the day is vegan, I get the benefits of that diet.  Eventually, I’d like to eat a 100% vegan diet, just because it feels right to me.  I feel lighter, have more energy, and can concentrate better.  I also don’t get sleepy after a big vegan meal like I do after a big meal at a Chinese buffet.  I feel like the food is cleaner, more pure, and not as complicated to prepare.  Other than brown rice, most vegan meals can be fixed in 15 minutes or less.

My interest in vegan eating was initially spiked by the fact that the people that I know that eat this way have really clear skin.  At that time, I was probably 18 or 19 and obsessed about my skin (at that age, who wasn’t??).  When I moved to the U.S., where vegan meals are a little bit more common than where I grew up, I started reading up more about it.  Then I learned about all the different types of vegetarian/vegan diets, including eating raw vegan and organic.  But more than just another unconventional way of eating, or a way to lose weight, get clear skin, or to live past 100, what it really boils down for me is that it’s a more conscious way of eating.  It has led me to really examine and question the type of food we all eat, why we eat it, and if they’re really good for us.  There are lots of different reasons people convert to vegan diets.  For me, it’s the sheer simplicity of it.  The resulting weight loss is just icing on the cake.  And it’s a more sustainable way of eating for me because I can realistically continue eating this way for the rest of my life and anywhere I go.

A lot of people may think, well, now I won’t get to eat all the good stuff I used to eat.  I personally don’t think of it as deprivation because it’s a conscious choice.  And what we consider as “good stuff” is very subjective.  There are people in certain parts of the world, and even in this country, that consider cow testicles, sheep brains and fish eye balls as edible, and even a delicacy.  For the majority of the population, those things are considered pretty repulsive and chosen not to be eaten.  Same thing with meat and processed food.  Some people choose to eat them and think they’re good for you, while others don’t.  I highly doubt many people will get bummed by not being able to eat sheep brains or fish eyeballs…ever.  So it’s really not a big issue for me to no longer eat steak or pork chops.

Eventually, as Isabella starts weaning herself from needing me just about every hour of the day, I will start adding excercise back into my life.  And as I learn to undo the lifelong eating habits I’ve formed, I will eventually wean myself completely off of all types of animal products and processed food.  But I’m taking it slow for now and allowing a few slip-ups here and there because once in a while, I still like to eat my fried chicken and donuts.  Maybe by next year, they will be as appetizing as cow testicles to me.

Don’t be the Cheapest

In a market that’s saturated with competition, with everything else being equal, the one that offers the lowest price is usually either the newbie or the laziest…or both.  I say this is usually the case because on rare occasions, they can also be the smartest if there’s more to them than just being the cheapest.

Why do many businesses try to offer the lowest this, the lowest that, free this, free that?  Because it’s by far the easiest way to compete.  Price may be one factor that affects a customer’s decision to buy, but it’s not the only thing.  For a lot of businesses, it’s too much work to try to figure out everything else that affects a customer’s purchasing decision, so they just try to compete on price.

I’ve learned never to engage in price wars.  There will always be somebody that will sell things cheaper.  Somebody can always find ways to make the same products we make cheaper.  There is always someone who values their time less, has less overhead, and is willing to give up more for less money.

If your only advantage over the competition is that you cost less, then there’s really not much that sets you apart.  You run the risk of having the most volatile client base–the price shoppers.  If the only reason your customers are shopping with you is because you cost less, they will drop you without batting an eyelash when someone else comes in cheaper.

Focus on offering true value, not just a better deal.  Build something spectacular, something worth talking about, something people need and want, something only YOU can create, something only YOU can provide.  When you’ve captured a market with something that’s uniquely yours, the world will be your oyster.

7 Ways to Irritate an Online Retailer

After years of dealing with relatively small online retailers and being one myself, I get to hear a lot of the rants about some of the most annoying customer behaviors.  I personally find them amusing–as long as I’m not dealing with them.  If you have nothing better to do and want to irritate the living crap out of one of the dot com stores out there, here’s how:

1.  Pretend you can’t read their store policies. A lot of customers either like pushing the limits of a store’s return policy for fun, or they think they’re exempt from having to follow the rules. Regular product returns are sometimes annoying enough as it is, but when customers try to test your patience by trying to return something that is not eligible for return/exchange because it’s dirty, used or smelly, has gone beyond the return period by 2 years, or even something purchased from another store, it just drives retailers up the wall.  Constantly buying and returning stuff from them is just as equally annoying.  Store policies are there for a reason.  It specifically states what the retailer can and can’t do, depending on how much losses they can afford to eat.  Usually, the bigger the store, the more lenient the policies tend to be.  Small stores simply cannot always afford to eat the costs that big merchandisers can just easily write off as the cost of doing business.  If you don’t agree with how they decide to do business, just go somewhere else.  Don’t make them have to bend their rules just for you.

2. Make ridiculous requests like asking them to price-match non-existent deals or requesting for free stuff or samples. While some stores do explicitly advertise that they price-match, if the store you’re shopping at doesn’t offer such a thing, don’t ask.  Asking them to price-match just sends them the message that you think they’re desperate for a sale.  In our industry, we get people emailing us promising to buy several dozen diapers and that they will be referring us to all their pregnant friends if we gave them a sample that typically retails for over $18.  You’re basically insulting our intelligence by doing this because there’s probably 50 other people ahead of you that has sent the same request that day.  Seriously folks, do you actually go up to your grocery store, grab a bag of chips and ask them if you can have it for free and that you will shop there if they let you have it??  Will you go grab a pack of toilet paper and tell them you’ll buy from them forever if you like the toilet paper??  Or if they can match the price the dollar-store is offering??  If you can’t do it in real life, don’t do it online.

3. Take up 2 hours of their time and then buy the products from the store that sells it cheaper. A lot of our retailers have very highly informative websites that they’ve put a lot of time and effort into and just love helping customers navigate their way through the complex, and sometimes intimidating options of cloth diapering.  While most of them do it from the goodness of their hearts, they also hope that you’ll buy from them out of the goodness of your heart.  Employees at big retail stores or online stores get paid regardless of if you buy from them or not.  They can talk to you all day for all they care.  But small online stores that are mostly 1-man (or woman) or family type operations don’t get paid by the hour.  If you appreciate the help they give you, show it by buying from them.

4. Act like you’re their only customer and that they have nothing else to do. This includes calling them late at night, on weekends or to ask about the status of your order an hour after you just placed it.  Some online stores may not have as much sales as Amazon, but that doesn’t mean the owners don’t have a life.

5. Gripe about how they’re making money out of you. People often like to tell retailers how much shipping should cost, or that they know how much they purchased their merchandise for, so they are ripping people off by marking it up.  Heaven forbid they actually make money!!  Yes, you’re the almighty customer, but that doesn’t give you the right to determine how much profit a business should make.   If you don’t agree with the prices, just move on.  There’s no point in harassing retailers about their prices or complaining about it.  Just because some online stores are operated at the owners’ homes, doesn’t mean they don’t have expenses to cover, much less mouths to feed.  Unless you’re shopping at a non-profit organization, expect to pay more than what it costs them to actually operate.  Some stores like (or need)  to make money, and for whatever reason, some stores don’t.

6. Threaten them with a bad review or a complaint if they don’t give you what you want. If you really want to annoy an online store owner, this is one sure-fire way to do it.  You’re basically cornering them unfairly into giving into your demands.  Nobody wants a bad review, ever.  They’ll either give in to what you want them to do while secretly cursing you and every living creature related to you, or they’ll just ignore you.  Now this only applies to non-fraudulent transactions.  I do realize that there are fly-by-night stores that are just out to make a quick buck.  The more established stores will probably just ignore you, especially if they know they’ve not done anything wrong.  This is usually a sign that you’re being unreasonable.  If you really have a legitimate complaint, be nice and polite about it.  State the facts as they are and leave the threats out.  You’ll have better chances of getting a favorable response that way than acting like a whiny brat.  Trust me, most stores don’t exist to intentionally make your life miserable.

7. Be rude, call them names, complain about the typo error on their website, or how their incompetence has ruined your life. Is your life really that bad??

Let’s face it, a lot of customers feel 10 feet tall when they’re hiding behind their computers and tend to do/say things they wouldn’t otherwise do when they’re dealing with you face to face.  Many customers don’t realize there’s a human being with their own thoughts and emotions reading and processing customer emails and issues.  I think a lot of people have taken the “customer is always right” mentality to a whole new level.  Bigger retailers can afford to spend much more to woo a customer by giving price breaks, free shipping, free returns, free samples, free everything and the kitchen sink, plus unlimited phone counseling.  But not with a mom & pop-type operation that depends on the profits of each sale they get and are trying to juggle time between their business and family life.  We all want that personalized customer service that a small retailer can give, but too many expect to get the benefits that big stores offer.  Sometimes it’s just not possible.  You either get one or the other, not both.  Some stores can figure out how to offer both and still stay in business, and that’s great.

I’m not trying to make being small as an excuse for poor customer service.  Neither am I trying to bash our customers.  My point is that we all need to shop more consciously and be mindful of our actions.  We all need to stop thinking that somebody else will foot the bill.  A website is not just a website, there’s a person making it work.  An online store isn’t a robot, there’s a person filling orders for it that may sometimes accidentally make mistakes.  An email recepient is not a punching bag.  There are some things small online stores just can’t grant you.  Sometimes there are things you would normally expect that even a big operation can’t or won’t grant you now.  But that’s no reason not to support them if they can give you what you actually really NEED.  When the big corporations are going bankrupt and begging for bailouts, many people don’t realize that it’s the small businesses that will get the world out of the financial mess we are in.  As I always tell my 2 boys, let’s all just play together nicely.

How I Got My Mother-in-Law Out of Prison

It took us (me and my husband) a few months, but we sure did it.  We got his mom out of prison. Yes we live in Tennessee, and my husband and his mom’s side of the family were all born and raised here, but this isn’t one of those freaky redneck stories that you hear about in the 6 o’clock news.

Kathy, my mother-in-law, actually worked for one of the high-security prisons here as a corrections officer.  For over 10 years, her job was to teach inmates how to sew and supervised the production line.  But for as long as I can remember, I don’t think she really liked it there.  She seems to always be complaining about her supervisor, stuff they have to do, etc.  And she’s not complaining because she’s one of those lazy people that just want to get out of having to work hard, in fact, she’s too much of a hard-worker that she makes a lot of people look bad.

In 2007, we decided that if we hit a million dollars in sales that year, that I’d like to offer Kathy to work with us.  Back then, we had 2 employees plus me and my husband on the payroll, and a bookkeeper.  Our problem was that those 2 employees we had constantly needed to be supervised or nothing would get done.  We felt that they were a little too close in age to us that they viewed us more as buddies than bosses.  We needed an authority figure in the office to keep employees, and future employees in line.  The business had a lot of potential and had been doubling in volume since its inception.  We now needed to add structure to our operations if we wanted to keep the momentum going.  I figured that if Kathy can supervise over 2 dozen hardened criminals day in and day out, these 2 little employees we have will probably seem like ants to her.  We would have needed to hire somebody anyway, might as well be her.  Our bookkeeper is actually her sister-in-law, so I know they’re going to get along well.

She didn’t immediately jump on our offer though.  She had to think about it for a few weeks.  I guess I can’t blame her.  She’s got job security where she’s at, benefits, etc.  It’s hard to get fired from a state job, unless you really screw things up.  Maybe she also didn’t think our company might be stable enough.  In fact, she didn’t even really take me seriously when I first mentioned I was going to use cloth diapers on our first child.  But I think she was also worried that working for us might put a strain on our relationship as a family.  We don’t have that typical mother-in-law/daughter-in-law type of friction that a lot of people have.  We actually get along very well.  But eventually, she decided to go for it and join us.

As of September of last year, my husband officially became her boss.  He jokes around that he waited 30-something years to get to boss his mom around.  Payback time!!! 

Having her work with us has took a little bit of adjustment though.  We kinda had to “detox” her from a lot of habits and old mindsets she developed working for a high security prison.  It took her a while to be comfortable with a lunch break that had no specific time–just whenever she felt like taking one.  Or that forgetting to clock in/out for work won’t result in dire consequences.  And that it’s okay to hire somebody with body piercings and green hair.

I’m a firm believer that one needs to work in a field they truly enjoy, and not only because they need a paycheck.  Doing something you don’t really like but are forced to do just because you need the money will drain the living hell out of you.  We don’t necessarily hire people with the longest resumes or the best qualifications.  We try to hire people who we think will enjoy the work and the environment we have to offer.

It has been great having her join us though.  Having her now means we don’t have to worry that things are getting done, and done properly, at the office.  Recently, we’ve also put her in charge of managing our new production facility beside our office.  But more than just having a job for Kathy, having her work with us means that she’ll be able to spend more time with her son, and the grandkids.  It means she gets to experience our family’s journey with us.

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